The new sizes of 100/70 R17 for the front and 125/70 R17 for the rear, for 2.5" and 3.5" rims respectively, are designed for 125cc and 250cc sport bikes and destined for the promising young riders of today who will become the key players of tomorrow

The legends of tomorrow are fuelled by their victories today and precisely for the purpose of following riders throughout every stage of their sports career, Pirelli has decided to broaden the Diablo Superbike range with new sizes of 100/70 R17 for the front and 125/70 R17 for the rear, for mounting on 2.5” and 3.5” rims respectively and use on 125cc and 250cc sport bikes.

These bikes are characteristically lightweight with small rims and a short wheelbase, which makes them agile and quick on direction changes. Compared to their bigger superbike siblings, they lack the necessary power coming out of tight turns since the average power these engines put out varies between 24 and 44 HP. This is why they privilege a cleaner and more precise riding style and their lightness allows them to maintain precise lines and high speeds while leaning over into turns. In the new "small sizes", the Diablo Superbike was designed specifically to cater to these particular characteristics, but without sacrificing the quality that has made the larger sizes used by champions so famous.

The profile of the new sizes is sculpted in such a way so as to guarantee great agility and rapid descent into a leaning position and the compound used is capable of optimising grip even when the contact surface diminishes. This means the rider has good braking in turns, maintaining a high speed throughout the lean, as well as being able to follow a line with extreme precision. In fact, the new Diablo Superbike sizes provide top notch Superbike performance while minimising the need for a specific set-up, so they can be easily managed even by less experienced riders. These tyres boast some key characteristics such as a reduced warm up time, being easier to bring up to temperature, better grip in high speed turns, extremely precise trajectory, no need for sophisticated suspension set-ups and therefore an overall predictable performance which boosts the rider’s confidence and feeling of grip.

Availability and the use of compounds is similar to the rest of the Diablo Superbike range: the front 100/70 R17 size will be available in the SC1 compound, while for the rear 125/70 R17 size riders will be able to choose from three versions: SC0 and SC1 exclusively for racing, and SC2 which is more suited for practice as it boasts slower and more even wear and can therefore be used for multiple sessions. Both of the slick versions, available from January 2012, will also be available from February 2012 in the rain version with the SCR1 compound.